Expanding Employment Horizons: Inspiring Futures for Blind and Low Vision Youth What types of jobs can people who are blind or have low vision do? “With appropriate training and equipment, people who are blind or have low vision have the same range of abilities as anyone else” [National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) ].
This document highlights adult professionals who are blind or have low vision who are working in a range of career fields. We want to help transition-aged youth understand what opportunities are out there and help them consider career fields they may not have considered before.
Mississippi State University NRTC The NRTC has put together a list of blind and low vision adult professionals who work in a range of career fields. The list includes a sample of professionals employed in career fields such as Arts, Business, Education, Healthcare, Law, Science, and Service. Some professionals include:
You can find more examples of employed blind and low vision adults on the NRTC’s Spotlight on Successful Employment webpage.
American Printing House for the Blind (APH) CareerConnect Career Conversations In 2022, APH CareerConnect launched a monthly Career Conversations series. Career Conversations welcomes people who are blind or have low vision in a variety of careers to help job seekers learn more about different professions. Each interview begins with a discussion on of how the featured professional started out and ended up in their career. The conversations include how confidence, determination, and self-advocacy played a role throughout their successful employment journey. Example Career Conversations have included:
Find all Career Conversations on the Career Conversations YouTube page .
Where Blind People Work (NFB) The National Federation for the Blind (NFB) features videos on YouTube that highlight a few career fields where individuals who are blind or have low vision work. A few examples:
You can find more videos on NFB’s website: Where the Blind Work
Professional Mentor Webinars The Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired features interviews with blind professionals in various professions. Interviews include:
More interviews and additional resources can be found on the WCBVI YouTube .
YouTube Channels There are a variety of blind and low vision influencers who have created successful YouTube channels. These channels cover various topics highlighting different career fields as well as navigating life with blindness/low vision. Examples include:
Molly Burke - Molly’s content focuses on her experiences with blindness, fashion and makeup advice, and vlogs about her daily life and activities. Justin Holland - Justin makes videos about fitness, bodybuilding, and his experiences with living without sight. James Rath - James is a filmmaker, accessibility consultant (video games, movies, and technology), and accessibility activist. He shares about being a leader in the digital age. There are many more YouTube channels to explore! Perkins School for the Blind helps to highlight some more examples on their website: Popular Blind YouTubers
